Matthew Frazier

Review of The Waldheim

My favorite place to vacation is The Waldheim. It...

My favorite place to vacation is The Waldheim. It has been true my entire life. We arrive on Saturday to welcomes from folks we met during previous years' visits, new folks, and lots of pets, start a long week of waterskiing, kayaks, duck feeding after meals, and sitting in Adirondack chairs. Guests drop in during the week for a few days, which I did while busy with work & life in my 20s, but most everyone has their cottage for a week (in the summer). Our fall visits have been equally great, just less lake activity and more time in front of the fire.

The beds are all comfortable but bring an extra pillow or two; Queen beds are tight for 2 six-footers. The cabins provide plenty of space but the front porch or top balcony adds extra room for party guests or for quiet time to read with a gorgeous view of the lake. Every morning, there's a new fire is in the fireplace, a wakeup bell that walks past all of the cabins, except The Knoll, around 7:45am, and a huge breakfast in the dining room from 8-9am. After breakfast, maybe 10am, we walk a few steps to the main dock to feed the ducks. I loved this as a young fella and still do it today (see picture). Until lunch at 1, we ski, read, swim, hike, canoe, kayak, play volley/spikeball, stoke fireplace, take lake pictures, carve wood, paddleboard, play with our dogs, chase the kids at the beach, more skiing but now behind another guest's boat, and maybe some time at the library to check email. Lunch includes an appetizer, entree, and desert. It's different every day, in 2- or 3-week cycles, at least. Most days, we sit down in the dining room for lunch around 1:45p. Until dinner, from 6-7p, we do many of those same activities, maybe drive out to Inlet to shop or browse, and someone usually hosts cocktails before dinner. After dinner, which is 3 courses at least, we try to ski one more time, get together for cards, or build a fire at the lean-to or beach. Sleep and repeat.

It is always tough to leave. My tough-as-nails wife felt "wistful" as we left after our first full week at The Waldheim. We've done long weekends and partial weeks but the full week is the most completely relaxing experience; what made The Waldheim famous. I've been 25-30 times in my 41 years. The Martin family that started everything is now the Pratt family but it's the same family and the same values drive the small, deliberate changes that we notice each year. It's the most family-friendly place I know and I am certain that it will stay that way for at least another generation.

Go to the picnic lunch on Wednesday! Order a picnic lunch and enough canoes to paddle to the rock in North Bay for a truly unique lakeside picnic! Bring the dog! Sit in the office and chat with Kelly! Wait for the day's mail... at the main dock because they still deliver it by boat on Big Moose Lake.